


Little Zuko Stabs a Grown Ass Man

by Do_it_for_the_v1n3



Series: Zuko Is A Protective, Chaotic Gremlin [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azula Is still baby, Azulon is shitty but not as much as he could have been, Canon-Typical Violence, Crack, Creepy Zhao (Avatar), Gen, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Out of Character, POV Iroh (Avatar), Protective Iroh (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Self-Indulgent, Stabbing, The Author Regrets Nothing, Why isn't this a tag?, Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Brother, Zuko has gone wild and connected with his inner lil sociopath, Zuko will destroy anyone who hurts his family, bamf zuko, but it was for a good reason, he is seven in this btw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:27:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Do_it_for_the_v1n3/pseuds/Do_it_for_the_v1n3
Summary: You read the title budy. It’s exactly that.The day which Zuko achieved his life-long wish of stabbing Zhao by the age of seven, and was officialy recognized as the little menace he is.
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Azulon & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Lu Ten & Zuko, Zhao&Zuko's Knife
Series: Zuko Is A Protective, Chaotic Gremlin [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018366
Comments: 75
Kudos: 1520





	Little Zuko Stabs a Grown Ass Man

“ _Prince Zuko._ ” Ozai hissed. “You _stabbed_ commander Zhao.”

General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, saw and heard many strange things during his life. Even though he had a good notion of things that he would never hear in his life, being because it was impossible, wouldn’t ever be said in his lifetime or were simply too random and too inexplicable for him to ever even consider.

This sentence was definitely in the last category, and yet Iroh found himself sat in one of the many reunion salons of the Firelord, side by side with his son, niece, and sister-in-law, with some military officers that had come for a small information-commands-bribes reunion thinly disguised as a social gathering, watching the weirdest scolding any of them ever saw in their lives. 

“Yes, father.” The boy said nonchalantly. It wasn’t a question, but he responded anyway.

Iroh felt a headache coming his way. Ozai seemed to share the sensation, but he doubted that he was born of concern like Iroh’s. Lu Ten was tense, like he expected to have to grab his cousin and run away at any second. Ursa was pale as a spirit, as she tried to calm down a very agitated Azula. The girl was smart but really young, and still hadn’t completely grasped the palace’s rules.

Iroh looked around, still trying to assimilate whatever was happening, and then he saw Zhao. It would have been satisfying, to see that rotten boot-licker on that messy, still bloody state, with a clear stab wound right on his left shoulder, a little under the major veins if his nephew wasn’t the one that caused it. The wound was already covered with gauze, but by the way Zhao barely moved his arm without masking a wince of pain and how the shoulder was covered, it was clear that it was a really effective attack, probably with a twist of the knife and maybe even breaking some parts of the bone.

“You impertinent child…” Ozai said, obviously still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his seven-year-old son had somehow stabbed a forty-year-old fire nation officer. “You may be a prince, but your actions have consequences…”

As Ozai moved slightly like he was going to raise his hand, and Iroh prepared to run to his nephew if needed, Firelord Azulon arrived.

“This is _my_ court, Prince Ozai.” Firelord Azulon interrupted with distaste as he entered the room and sat on his throne. “I decide what to do to my apparently unruly descendent.”

“Firelord Azulon.” Ozai said as all in the room knelt, and he sat.

Zuko walked forward and knelt to the fire throne.

“Prince Zuko. Did you attack one of the fire nation commanders?” Azulon said, his voice revealing no emotion.

“Yes, grandfather.” Zuko said, looking at the ground.

“How did you do it?”

“I stabbed his left shoulder with my army knife, grandfather.”

“How dare you act so impulsively, like a wild beast, and try to kill one of the Fire Nations’ commanders?” Azulon said, with a cold, mostly uninterested voice, quite literally like he was stuck scolding a child. The squeeze in his heart diminished as he realized that his father wasn’t offended by Zuko’s actions. This was a mere formality to show dominance. “Commander Zhao is a part of the war effort. I expect you to be aware that killing him without reason would prejudicate the Fire Nation and the Firelord.”

“I had already contemplated the action and its consequences, grandfather. This just happened to be the most suitable moment.” Zuko said, taking the subtly given chance to talk. Azulon raised an eyebrow. “Killing him wasn’t my objective, grandfather. It isn’t my right to choose if a servant of the Firelord lives or dies, so I ensured there wouldn’t be any permanent damage. ”

Zhao seemed like he would pop a vain at that, but managed to talk properly, yet strained.

“Firelord Azulon, this boy doesn’t have a notion of how he prejudiced the fire nation. My recuperation will delay the colonization of the east earth kingdom islands!”

“Watch how you speak out of turn, commander.” Azulon hissed, displeased. He then turns to Zuko, who thanks Agni, had waited for his turn for once.

“Grandfather, commander Zhao should be perfectly capable to continue his duties to the fire nation. He is right-handed after all, and a simple wound caused by a ‘boy’ shouldn’t be enough to stand in the way of any competent military men.”

Zhao seemed on the edge of strangling Zuko but Firelord Azulon sent him an unimpressed look. Iroh heard an almost inaudible noise and he saw Azula stifling a giggle. Lu Ten seemed satisfied by his little cousin’s verbal beatdown as well. Iroh felt a little grin appear in his face.

It disappeared when Iroh saw the slight amusement in Azulon’s eyes.

“Rise, Prince Zuko.” Zuko stands on his feet, looking the Firelord in the eye.

“Ensured that there wouldn’t be permanent damage? So you say that you could have killed or maimed Commander Zhao, a man with way more combat and firebending experience than you if you tried to.”

“I believe so, grandfather.” Zuko said, calmly.

“Why don’t I put you to fight an Agni Kai against Commander Zhao to pay for your offense so you can show your said abilities?” Azulon said with an almost imperceptible grin. Iroh took that moment to curse Azulon and all of his forefathers, especially Sozin that corrupted the royal family with his unbearable cruelty.

Zhao and Ozai smiled a little at that, Ursa and Iroh seemed at the verge of a heart attack. Iroh had to hold his son by his shoulder to stop him from interfering. Azula, in her 5 years, didn't seem to completely understand the situation, but she knew that some bad could happen. But the moment passed quickly.

Zuko let a tiny grin escape. But unlike his usual grin, this one held no warmth whatsoever. Just cold and sharp satisfaction. Zhao’s smile was exchanged by an unsettled expression. Iroh was getting more and more worried as the interest in Azulon’s eyes grew. Ursa looked like her son had just been possessed by an evil spirit. 

Maybe he was.

“It would be an honor, grandfather.” The boy said with a hint of anticipation in his tone, and Iroh noticed with horror that his nephew wasn’t surprised by the suggestion at all. Like he had considered the outcome and decided that he would love to have the chance of setting the man’s beard on fire, regardless of any risks. Seeing the controlled expression with a sharpness that earned to pull blood, that Iroh realized truly for the first time, that Zuko was his brother’s son.

_He was Ozai’s son._

Zuko, the considerate and empathetic child, that fed turtle ducks with his mother and never abused his birth status to hurt the servants, who showed Azula nothing but kindness no matter how many fire-wielding tantrums the girl had, who spent afternoons with Iroh drinking tea and learning the basics of Pai sho just because of the smiles that it gave Iroh, who Lu Ten still made sure to carry around in his arms despite the boy’s protests because he was just still so tiny. 

Zuko was _Ozai’s_ son. Ozai, who cared for no one but himself. Ozai, who lived to hurt others since he was Azula’s age. Ozai, who manipulated to no end, who prioritized his greed over the world and his country.

It was something that he knew as a fact, but that simply wasn’t right. The idea of Zuko being even slightly similar to Ozai sounded completely wrong. 

And yet, right now, seeing the boy’s face, it was the only thing that Iroh could think.

It felt like an earthbender had shoved a bolder inside his stomach.

Iroh made the mistake to look at his brother, just to see that Ozai seemed to have the same epiphany. He didn’t look like he had swallowed a boulder though. He looked like he had looked inside an old jar looking for dust and found a dragon egg instead. 

  
Ozai’s small grin as he looked at his son and Lu Ten’s worried glare gave Iroh the urge to kidnap Zuko and take him and Lu Ten to live a peaceful life in the mountains, where Ozai couldn’t look at him like that. He would also have to find a way to bring Azula along because his nephew would never accept to leave his sister, but she would be hard to deal with. 

But, looking at his niece, wondering if he would have to drug a 5-year-old for his plan to work, he realized another surprising thing. Seeing Azula’s usual sharp grin, Iroh realized that in that moment, Zuko and Azula looked so much alike that one could probably mistake them if it weren’t for the hairstyles and height difference. 

Of course, he remembered that when she was younger, Azula looked practically identical to Zuko in the same age, but Iroh thought that they had grown out of it. Sometimes the similarities appeared, in the moments when Ozai’s influence would wear off and she would smile happily like a child again, but it was one side of her that Iroh hardly saw. Right now, their faces looked downright interchangeably, both in physical features and expression. 

“If you were to cause permanent damage, how would you do it, Prince Zuko?” Azulon asked with thinly masked interest.

“There are multiple possibilities. I’m aware that I’m not as talented with my Fire bending as I ought to be as a member of the royal family, but even so, I could use the dragon’s saber kata to rip a limb off. Or do the Shu technique in a concentrated form to damage eyes or ears. Use a modified version of the Scales kata to use the opponent’s fire against him.” Then that disturbing grin returned. “The possibilities multiply considerably if I make use of a blade, though.”

Everyone seemed astonished by Zuko’s uncharacteristic brutality. The words sent a shiver up Iroh’s spine. Those were alternative uses of katas but really smart ones, fitting of his nephew’s creativity, that always invented new moves and games but… completely unlike him. Those were weaponized, downright lethal. A seven-year-old shouldn’t be able to think of something like that.

_What the hell were they teaching this kid?_

Iroh reconsidered the possibility of kidnapping as the room fell on an intense silence.

“Interesting...I will expect to see your execution of these techniques, later on, Prince Zuko.” Firelord said after some seconds of consideration, a little suspicious of the boy’s change of demeanor, but pleased to see violent tendencies flourish. “But for now, explain what was the reason for attacking a commander.”

“Commander Zhao was committing a great offense by saying treacherous, _dishonorable_ things about a member of the royal family,” Zuko said, with a sharpness in his tone.

Whispers filled the room and he saw Zhao and the other man’s faces turned white.

“How did you come to that conclusion?” Azulon inquired.  
  


“I heard him. He was talking about it with some of the nobles. Some of the servants that were there are testimonies, and so is prince Lu Ten.” Zuko said, and Iroh looked at his son. As a prince, it would be unlikely that someone would dare to accuse him of lying, and he doubted that none of the nobles would take advantage of the situation to testify against Zhao either way since he was quite unlikeable, but the presence of an adult of the royal family made everything set on stone and made the possibility of execution much more likely. He didn’t know if Zuko was aware of this, but Lu Ten definitely was, and he wasn’t disturbed in the slightest.

“Step forward, Prince Lu Ten.” Azulon said.

His son walked next to his young cousin and knelt in front of Azulon.

“Rise.” Lu Ten stood up. “Prince Lu Ten. Did you hear Commander Zhao offend the royal family alongside Prince Zuko?”

“Yes, grandfather.” Lu Ten said. “I was showing Prince Zuko some of the palace’s royal corridors and entries. We passed by Zhao and he was saying… disrespectable, disgusting things. Prince Zuko went to confront him, and when the commander didn’t stop, he cut him.”

“Who was this about?”

Lu Ten took a deep breath. Zuko still didn’t bulge.

“Princess Azula, your majesty.” Lu Ten said.

Iroh perked in surprise, along with Ursa and Azula herself, that then started to glare daggers into Zhao’s skull. He didn’t expect anyone to be stupid enough to disrespect the young princess, even more inside the palace. Most would never risk their necks on the off-set that Ozai would be offended by that, or Azula, with her small but really hot fire that was already growing to be a menace. 

Firelord Azulon gave Zhao an ugly look, a clear message that he would leave the palace with other scars beyond the stab wound if he ever left at all, but then turned to the boy, with cold displeasure in his face.

“You attacked a commander in defense of your sister, who even being 2 years younger already advances through firebending faster than you ever did.” Azulon said cruelly.” Be under no illusions boy, a prodigy doesn’t need the protection of someone as weak as you.”

Normally, this is where Zuko would falter. This is where he would look away in shame and apologize. Today, however, Zuko’s eyes sharpened, but he didn’t back down.

“I know that Princess Azula doesn’t need my protection. She is strong enough to do it herself.” Zuko said, firmer than most earthbenders Iroh had fought against. “But she is my sister and I will always give it to her regardless. No matter how hard I have to work for being worthy of it.”

The silence of pure shock was heavy enough to be felt, and Iroh turned to see his niece look at her brother with big surprised eyes, and traces of pure happiness and satisfaction so natural that for once, she looked like a normal girl. Azula must have felt his stare because she made her face neutral, like she was wearing a mask, and stared at him. Iroh smiled at her and looked back to the throne.

“What was the objective of that attack, Prince Zuko? A punishment?” Firelord Azulon finally asked.

“No.”There was a strange, firm but dangerous spark in his eyes “I stabbed commander Zhao as a warning.”

Iroh never thought that it would come a day when he would describe his small, kind nephew as ‘scary’ or ‘disturbing’. But nothing seemed to make sense today.

After a long thoughtful silence, the Firelord said:

“Send a hawk to Master Piandao.” Firelord Azulon said finally, looking disturbingly satisfied. “If my grandson is going to be using blades, he will be a master at it. Iroh, revise Prince Zuko’s training regime to something fitting of his ambitions. Commander Zhao will go to the palace’s infirmary temporarily. “

_Grandson._

_His grandson._

**_Fuck._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!!
> 
> First work for the atla fandom!! Really love our baby Zuko, and decided to give him some karmic justice! 
> 
> Maybe I will make another one-shot in this style later.
> 
> Pls feel free to comment and send kudos!
> 
> <3 <3<3 <3


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